Daniel Sikkema Gets Life Sentence for Murder of Art Dealer Brent Sikkema

A US federal court has sentenced Daniel Sikkema to life in prison for the murder-for-hire killing of his estranged husband, New York art dealer Brent Sikkema. The US District Court for the Southern District of New York announced the sentence on Wednesday.

The verdict closes a case that began in Rio de Janeiro on January 14, 2024, when Brent Sikkema was stabbed 18 times at age 75. Daniel Sikkema was found guilty in May after a two-week trial in New York, convicted on three counts: murder-for-hire, conspiracy to commit murder-for-hire, and conspiracy to commit murder in a foreign country. Prosecutors argued the plot followed a bitter divorce and a custody dispute over the couple's son.

US Attorney Jamie McDonald did not mince words in a statement. "Today's life sentence holds Daniel Sikkema accountable for a cold, calculated murder-for-hire plot that resulted in the murder of his husband, Brent Sikkema," McDonald said. He added that for months Daniel Sikkema had "manipulated friends, family, and employees to execute a killing driven by greed" and shown a "profound disregard for human life and the rule of law."

"This sentence reflects the seriousness of the crime, and it reflects the strength and perseverance of the victim's community and our law enforcement partners," McDonald said.

Who was Brent Sikkema?

Brent Sikkema founded his New York gallery in 1991. The gallery built its reputation on early support for artists who became names: Kara Walker, Vik Muniz, Jeffrey Gibson, and Sheila Hicks. Following his death, Sikkema Jenkins & Co. was renamed Sikkema Malloy Jenkins — the institution carries on, minus its founder and his name.

In art-world terms, the loss was substantial. Sikkema's roster sat at the intersection of textiles, conceptual photography, and painting, a mix few Chelsea dealers matched.

How was the plot carried out?

Court files lay out the mechanics. Daniel Sikkema hired Alejandro Prevez to commit the murder, promising to send money to Prevez and a romantic interest. Daniel sent 11 payments in total. Shortly after Brent's murder, Daniel "secretly sent a $5,000 payment to Prevez for the murder," according to court filings.

Prevez was arrested by Brazilian law enforcement on January 18, 2024 — four days after the killing. His criminal case remains pending in Brazilian courts, meaning the story's final legal chapter is still unwritten.

For now, the New York sentence stands as the resolution American prosecutors sought: a life term, delivered less than two years after a gallery founder's death in a foreign apartment.